The leaf

The leaf.

You can see it as part of the tree or you can view it as a leaf by itself.

Right now, I think I am like a leaf. I used to be and can be part of a tree or a heap of raked leaves. But I do like to stand alone sometimes. The harsh realities of life gets you down quite often but if you never leave the tree, how would you have seen the world? What the world holds is more exciting than what surrounds me.

Speak up on what you think is right or forever hold your peace!

It actually happened?

Yes, it did.

A backpacker and her backpack travelled all the way to Europe, alone. The trip has an immense and profound effect on the backpacker.

Brussels is beautiful but Amsterdam is beyond her imagination. Grand Place, Manneken Pis, Anne Frank Huis, Red Light District, countless musuems in both cities, and many more.

The trip has taught much and the entire episode, as pointed out by a friend, has brought a whole new light on certain things.

There was much to learn, culturally. Doors of the metro trains (Singapore’s MRT equivalent) don’t open automatically; there is a lever on the inside and/or a button on the outside of the train body. When you want to get on or out, you pull the lever or push the button.

Such a smart idea to save energy, and prevent heat from escaping unnecessarily in winter time. Not forgetting that it teaches one (one here refers more to Singaporeans in general) not to take things for granted.

This is the famous Manneken Pis, the statue of a boy famously shown peeing in all his naked glory. There are a whole lot of legends behind the origins of the Manneken Pis but no one, not even the locals, know how he came about and why he was in such an uncompromising position.

Definitely NOT big.

Culturally and historically rich. Brussels is a pre-dominantly French-speaking city in a Dutch-dominated country. And a blend of new and old architecture, with a seemingly transient feel to life.

Amsterdam. Perhaps it’s not wrong to call it a city of arts. Not to be outdone by its Red Light District, canals and coffeeshop (not the place where you drink your ‘drug’ a.k.a. coffee; it’s really a legalised place for people to smoke weed) counterparts, the deeply alluring and beautiful city charms with its abundance in museums and arts venue.

Van Gogh, Stedelijk, Rijks Museums. Heineken Brewery Museum. Amsterdam History Museum. You name it, Amsterdam probably has it.

Winter + clear blue skies + brightly shining sun + art is possibly one’s definition of ‘heaven on earth’.

Narrow houses packed like sardines along the canals. Yet the claustrophobic or haphazard feel of city planning never got their chance to swop down on you. The city retains much of its old charms and quietly, unassumingly, introduces bits of modernism.

This shot was taken at the cafe in Anne Frank Huis (‘huis’ is the Dutch word for ‘house’), the girl whose diary of 8 Jews hiding from Nazis was published and received worldwide attention on the war atrocities. It is hard to imagine in a place now that is so beautiful and peaceful used to be the stage of such an ugly scene.

Giddyap, horsie. Take one to the place yonder where one’s heart holler for.

Photo day

A window of hope?

Life is never clear before us…yet we know our future is in front of us

Sentosa on National Day

Some pictures I took when I was in Sentosa yesterday. Stepping into the island after my last visit years ago reaffirms my view that Sentosa is too touristy a spot for me to enjoy.

The lonely beach ball that got neglected…lol